Your OpenCourseWare Newsletter | June 2025 |
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Looking Back at the “Open Learners” Podcast Series |
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Image by Katherine Ouellette |
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As we dive into summer, we celebrate the many independent learners around the world who make use of MIT OpenCourseWare to improve their lives and the lives of those in their communities. You can listen to six of these inspiring learner stories in our recent special season of the Chalk Radio® podcast where guest co-hosts Michael Jordan Pilgreen and Emmanuel Kasigazi interview other “open learners” about the impact of MIT’s free, open educational materials as a source of power, transformation, and lifelong learning. Learn more in this Open Matters blog post, Looking Back at the “Open Learners” Podcast Series, read the backstory of the series in this Open Learning Medium article, and get inspired by Season 6 of Chalk Radio! |
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The Power of Openness, Driving Innovation in Computer Science |
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Image by MIT Open Learning, from a photo by Gretchen Ertl. |
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They say that what comes around goes around, and in the case of Sarah Alnegheimish’s work in computer science, that seems to be true. When Alnegheimish did her undergraduate study in computer science at King Saud University, she benefited from open educational resources from MIT OpenCourseWare, which helped supplement her formal learning. Now, as a PhD student at MIT’s Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems (LIDS), she’s developing Orion, a flexible machine-learning system for detecting anomalies in data streams. And she’s making Orion available as open-source software, in the hope that it will reach a wide range of potential users. Read more about her story in this article from MIT News. |
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Transforming Medical Treatments from Theory to Reality |
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Photo courtesy of Juan Guerrero. |
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After a 33-year career in biotechnology, Juan Guerrero uses MIT OpenCourseWare to continue improving his skills in order to adapt to important industry changes. “I decided to update my skills in the sciences because they change rapidly,” he says, and notes that OpenCourseWare helps him learn new concepts and retain that knowledge. His next project is to return to the practical aspects of DNA research. He aims to transform theoretical concepts into practical treatments that will help cure diseases more effectively. Read about Juan’s journey in this Open Matters article. |
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The curvature of spacetime in the vicinity of a massive object. (Image by Maschen on Wikimedia Commons. Image is in the public domain.). |
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8.033 Introduction to Relativity and Spacetime Physics The goal of this undergraduate-level course, designed for students who are just beginning their in-depth study of physics, is to provide a thorough introduction to Einstein’s special theory of relativity (the theory that describes how distance and time vary for different observers, while the speed of light is invariable) as well as a brief introduction to the core concepts of Einstein’s general theory of relativity (the theory that describes gravitational fields in terms of a warping or curvature of spacetime). The 22 sets of lecture notes from the course are downloadable as individual files or as a single textbook-like file. 14.661 Labor Economics I How does the economics of work work? This graduate-level course, taught by Nobel laureates Joshua Angrist and Daron Acemoglu, covers topics in labor economics and aims to encourage the development of independent research interests. The course provides a systematic development of the theory of labor supply, labor demand, and human capital. Topics include wage and employment determination, turnover, search, immigration, unemployment, equalizing differences, and institutions in the labor market. Particular emphasis is placed on the interaction between theoretical and empirical modeling. Course materials include two reading lists (one from each professor!), lecture notes, problem sets, and a practice final exam. |
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Image by MIT OpenCourseWare. |
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RES.TLL-005 How to Speak Patrick Henry Winston’s insightful and engaging lecture on “How to Speak,” which he delivered annually at MIT for many years, was always well attended, and our video of that lecture has gone on to become one of the most popular offerings on our YouTube channel, with over 20 million views to date. Users previously had the option of turning on closed captions in English, Spanish, or Portuguese; now, thanks to the generous combined efforts of a volunteer translator and a Sinophone staffer here at MIT OpenCourseWare, we’re also able to offer captions in both traditional and simplified Chinese characters. RES.21G-108 Project-Based Language Learning for Chinese II (Streamlined) This supplemental resource, which provides detailed information about the course project from the course 21G.108 Chinese II (Streamlined), has now been enhanced with an Instructor Insights page featuring written reflections from lecturer Min-Min Liang, discussing the project, in which students were asked to interview an older family member or acquaintance and create an online book to present the findings of that interview. Among the topics Liang addresses are the typical background of the students in the “streamlined” version of Chinese II, the intended outcomes of the interview/book assignment, the benefits of project-based learning, and the usefulness of rubrics as a way of clarifying the assessment process. Embedding of Video Interviews in Course Sites In the April and May editions of this newsletter, we mentioned the release of two new video interviews as special installments of the Chalk Radio® podcast. Those interviews, featuring Prof. Andrew Lo and Dr. Ana Bell, have now been embedded in Instructor Insights pages on the MIT OpenCourseWare course sites for Prof. Lo’s courses 15.401 Finance Theory I, 15.481x Adaptive Markets: Financial Market Dynamics and Human Behavior, and RES.15-005 (15.482x) Healthcare Finance and Dr. Bell’s courses 6.100L Introduction to CS and Programming Using Python, 6.0001 Introduction to Computer Science and Programming in Python, and 6.0002 Introduction to Computational Thinking and Data Science. |
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Further Materials from MIT OpenCourseWare |
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Learn from MIT Professors Who Are Newly Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences |
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Photos courtesy of Anne Whiston Spirn, Cecil and Ida Green Distinguished Professor of Landscape; Nasser Rabbat, Aga Khan Professor; and Gareth McKinley, School of Engineering Professor of Teaching Innovation. |
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Through MIT OpenCourseWare, you can learn from MIT faculty members who were recently elected into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation’s most prestigious honorary societies. Embark on a learning path into urban planning with Prof. Anne Whiston Spirn, and discover what shapes a city in the course 11.016J The Once and Future City. Or delve into the cultural significance of architecture with Prof. Nasser Rabbat with the course 4.615 The Architecture of Cairo. Start your learning adventure with powerhouse educators and researchers from MIT who have published their free courses on MIT OpenCourseWare and MITx. Read more in this Medium article by MIT Open Learning. |
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Your Support is More Important Than Ever |
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John, we love being there for you and anyone in the world hoping to learn, grow, and improve their lives. Always open and free, MIT OpenCourseWare was made for you — and with support from learners and friends like you. If you’re able to afford a gift to OCW, will you please consider supporting us today? |
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You and your donation help us to keep publishing and sharing MIT education with the world — giving people the knowledge and chance to change their education, lives, and communities. If now is not a good time to donate, then we welcome you to support our work in other ways. We appreciate your being part of our community! |
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Newsletter edited by Shira Segal with contributions from Peter Chipman, production assistance and contributions from Stephanie Hodges, and resource development by Duyen Nguyen and Yvonne Ng. |
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We want to hear from you! How can MIT OpenCourseWare help you in your educational endeavors? Write to us at ocw@mit.edu with questions or suggestions. |
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More free resources from MIT Open Learning are available at: |
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